Levulinic acid can be used to make resins, plasticizers, specialty chemicals, herbicides and as a flavor substance. Levulinic acid is useful as a solvent, and as a starting material in the preparation of a variety of industrial and pharmaceutical compounds such as diphenolic acid (useful as a component of protective and decorative finishes), calcium levulinate (a form of calcium for intravenous injection used for calcium replenishment and for treating hypocalcemia). The use of the sodium salt of levulinic acid as a replacement for ethylene glycols as an antifreeze has also been proposed.
Esters of levulinic acid are known to be useful as plasticizers and solvents, and have been suggested as fuel additives. Acid catalyzed dehydration of levulinic acid yields alpha-angelica lactone.
Levulinic acid has been synthesized by a variety of chemical methods. But levulinic acid has not attained much commercial significance due in part to the high cost of the raw materials needed for synthesis. Another reason is the low yields of levulinic acid obtained from most synthetic methods. Yet, another reason is the formation of a formic acid byproduct during synthesis and its separation from the levulinic acid. Therefore, the production of levulinic acid has had high associated equipment costs. Despite the inherent problems in the production of levulinic acid, however, the reactive nature of levulinic acid makes it an ideal intermediate leading to the production of numerous useful derivatives.
Cellulose-based biomass, which is an inexpensive feedstock, can be used as a raw material for making levulinic acid. The supply of sugars from cellulose-containing plant biomass is immense and replenishable. Most plants contain cellulose in their cell walls. For example, cotton comprises 90% cellulose. Furthermore, it has been estimated that roughly 75% of the approximate 24 million tons of biomass generated on cultivated lands and grasslands are waste. The cellulose derived from plant biomass can be a suitable source of sugars to be used in the process of obtaining levulinic acid. Thus, the conversion of such waste material into a useful chemical, such as levulinic acid, is desirable.